Roadway shoulder retainer



P 22, 1942- E. E. NYVALL 2,296,536

ROADWAY SHOULDER RETAINER Filed Feb. 3, 1941 Patented Sept. 22, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROADWAY SHOULDER RETAINER Ernest E. Nyvall,Seattle, Wash.

Application February 3, 1941, Serial No. 377,250

3 Claims.

This invention relates to roadway shoulder retainers, and has for one ofits objects the production of a simple and efficient retainer which willeliminate the expensive upkeep of shoulders along roadways, and behindthe shoulders in a solid, safe condition, thereby preventing washoutsalong the edges of the road.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple andefficient retainer which is so constructed as to permit the paving of ahighway to extend to the very edge of an embankment and therebyeliminate the necessity of maintaining earthen or other type shoulders,in this way adding additional usable surface to the road.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appearthroughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a portion of a roadbed,showing the shoulder retainer in position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the shoulderretainer;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the shoulder-retainer sections;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the lockingtongues;

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of one end of the flare board,showing one of the locking tongues in a locking position.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that H) designates the bodyof the retainer plate which may be formed of a plurality of overlappingsections to provide a continuous retainer plate of a desired length. Thebody I!) comprises a preferably relatively flat sheet metal structurewhich is adapted to lie longitudinally under the road surface I l and tobe embedded in the roadbed 12 in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 3.The body I0 is preferably reinforced transversely by means of a pressedbead portion l3 and a suitable number of these bead portions may be usedthroughout the length of the body I0. The body I0 is provided at itsrear edge with a plurality of slits I4 for defining tongues, certainportions of the body between the slits l4 being bent downwardly toprovide the rightangularly extending anchoring tongues 15 andalternately spaced substantially horizontally extending tongues IS. Thefill of the roadbed by fitting between and around the tongues l5 and Hiwill tend to hold the body I0 in an anchored position. H

The outer edge of the body I0 is preferably bent upwardly and rearwardlyat an incline of approximately degrees to provide a flare board H, whichflare board is provided, at its outer and upper edges with an outwardlyrolled bead l8, which outwardly rolled bead is adapted to abut againstthe edge of the road surface ll shown in Figures 1 and 2. The flareboard I! is preferably bent at a suitable angle to conform with theincline of the road fill embankment [9, shown in Figures 1 and 3.

A plurality of bracing tongues 20 are struck from the body Ill and bentforwardly and upwardly at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, theupper ends of the tongues 20 being inserted through slots 2| of theflare board in the manner shown in detail in Figures 3 and 7. The outerends of these tongues 20 are notched or slit as indicated at 22, toprovide lips 23 which may be bent at right angles to the tongues 20 whenthe outer end of the tongues 20 have been extended through the slots 2|in the flare board I! to hold the flare board I! at a proper angle andprevent the flare board from being pushed away from the edge of theembankment I9 or the edge of the road surface ll. These lips 23 willprovide a locking means to retain the flare board in its proper positionas described above.

As shown in Figure 2, the roadway shoulder retainer for the purpose offacilitating assembly, shipment, and placement in position, ispreferably made up of a plurality of sections, the ends of whichoverlap, and to anchor these sections in overlapped relation the tongues20 may be placed together, as shown in Figure 3, and inserted throughthe apertures M in the overlapping portions of the sections of the bodyIt], thereby holding the sections together. It should be understood thatif desired the retainer may be formed in one plate and in some instancesit will only be necessary to utilize the length of one plate toaccomplish the desired object, this depending of course upon thetopographical characteristics of the roadbed upon which the retainer isbeing used. It of course should be understood that the body It) may beof any suitable or desired length and may be of any suitable or desirednumber of sections without departing from the spirit of the invention, asuitable number of tongues 20 being employed to properly brace the flareboard throughout its length.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the constructionmay be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, solong as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A roadway shoulder retainer comprising a relatively flat body havingsubstantially horizontally extending anchoring tongues along one edgeand right-angularly extending anchoring tongues arranged between thehorizontally extending anchoring tongues, the outer edge of the bodybeing upturned and rearwardly inclined to provide a flare board adaptedto extend substantially flush with the edge of the embankment of theroadbed, the outer edge of the flare board being outwardly rolled toprovide a reinforcing means and to constitute an abutment against whichthe road surface may rest whereby the road surface may be extended tothe very edge of the embankment, reinforcing tongues carried by the bodyand being upwardly and outwardly inclined, said flare board havingtongue-receiving means for receiving said reinforcing tongues, and meanscarried by the last mentioned tongues for locking the last mentionedtongues in engagement with said tongue receiving means.

2. A roadway shoulder retainer comprising a relatively flat body havingsubstantially horizontally extending anchoring tongues along one edgeand right-angularly extending anchoring tongues arranged between thehorizontally extending anchoring tongues, the outer edge of the bodybeing upturned and rearwardly inclined to provide a flare board adaptedto extend substantially flush with the edge of the embankment of theroadbed, the outer edge of the flare board being outwardly rolled toprovide a reinforcing means and to constitute an abutment against whichthe road surface may rest whereby the road surface may be extended tothe very edge of the embankment, reinforcing tongues carried by the bodyand being upwardly and outwardly inclined, said flare board havingtongue-receiving apertures near the outer edge of the flare board, saidreinforcing tongues having a plurality of laterally extending lipsadapted to be bent at right angles to the last mentioned tongues tooverlie the flare board and lock the flare boa-rd in a set angularposition.

3. A'roadway shoulder retainer comprising a plate, one edge of saidplate having a flare board extending at an angle to the plate andproviding a retaining means for the edge of the embankment of a roadbedand the edge of a road surface, reinforcing tongues carried by the bodyand being upwardly and outwardly inclined toward said'flare board, saidflare board having tonguereceiving apertures near the outer edge of theflare board for receiving the outer ends of said tongues, a plurality oflaterally extending lips carried by said anchoring tongues near theouter ends of the tongues, the lips being adapted to be bent at an angleto the tongues to overlie the flare board and lock the flare board in aset angular position.

ERNEST E. NYVALL.

